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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

O glorious Saint
Therese, whom Almighty God has raised up to aid and counsel
mankind, I implore your Miraculous Intercession. So powerful are you in obtaining every need of body and soul our
Holy Mother Church proclaims you a "Prodigy of
Miracles...the Greatest Saint of Modern Times." Now I
fervently beseech you to answer my petition (mention specifics
here) and to carry out your promises of spending Heaven doing
good upon the earth...of letting fall from Heaven a Shower of
Roses.Henceforth, dear Little Flower, I will fulfill your plea "to
be made known everywhere" and I will never cease to lead
others to Jesus through you.
Amen.

All her life St. Thérèse suffered from
illness. As a young girl she underwent a three-month malady characterized by
violent crises, extended delirium and prolonged fainting spells. Afterwards she
was ever frail and yet she worked hard in the laundry and refectory of the
convent. Psychologically, she endured prolonged periods of darkness when the light
of faith seemed all but extinguished. The last year of her life she slowly wasted
away from tuberculosis. And yet shortly before her death on September 30 she
murmured, "I would not suffer less."

Truly she was a valiant woman who did not
whimper about her illnesses and anxieties. Here was a person who saw the power of
love, that divine alchemy which can change everything, including weakness and
illness, into service and redemptive power for others. Is it any wonder that she
is patroness of the missions? Who else but those who embrace suffering with their
love really convert the world?

Such an attachment and attraction to my dear patron saint in Heaven. As I go through my own personal and internal suffering, may Love conquer the evil and sadness of the world today through the intervention of the Holy Angels and Saints in Heaven. May a shower of roses come from Heaven not only to my family and friends who need your intercession dear sweet Little Flower, but that the world be granted peace and much Love and Divine Mercy in the hearts of the wretched and despaired.

Monday, September 30, 2013

So much has gone on in my life and in our Catholic Family Circus since March 2013. So much that it has become clear throughout this year of chaos theme. I find now some clarity in my family chaos, some not so good and some have become a welcome blessing.

My dear Sweetie was laid off from his job in May 2013, and with that chaos has come lots of little hurdles, financial and also day in and day out survival modes that I wish on no one. As I know I don't have many fans on here in the blogger world, I see those on the Catholic and Christian circle of bloggers have the time to blog and share their family journey with such elegance and sometimes how it seems with no great effort. I am amazed at their talents and their charisma however form and way they get to write and express their family life and missions.

As I was trying to be more transparent in my journey especially in blogging, I realized I didn't want to write out this part of my family history. I couldn't be fulfilling or evangelizing the faith to anyone at a time that I felt so lost. Too much pain and sadness and also lost of hope at a time where my entire family and I felt attacked. I have retreated into a small turtle shell and reflected on those things that were very important, the God given graces that I had in front of me that were my blessings are what I have been hanging on these past few months.

As my husband is still unemployed, I try to find a balance in being a good wife, a mother to my five children, the housekeeper and also the nurturer, I have been mentally drained and exhausted. At one point in the past few months I have seriously wanted to give up on everything and everyone around me, since nothing was making anyone happy. I have become depressed from this stress in life without realizing it. As I started to say in my head through prayers... "Hang on, just hang on!"

And I finally realized in the past month of September, happiness lies within each individual. It's not the job of one person to give someone happiness. The happiest people on earth don't have many material things, they are just graced with LOVE! So in a very holy experience for me, this challenge in life, has become an epiphany of many things as a mother. That even though I am responsible for their little lives and also being a good wife, I can't be responsible for those things I can't control within each of my children and my husband. Such a balancing act that it can make any mother exhausted. It makes sense just like an egghead equation in calculus class in college, it finally makes sense.All this chaos has become clarity!

For my husband's 40th birthday this year in June we decided to go to Sanibel Island, which is 2 hours from my home. I was going to cancel the entire surprise birthday trip, when my mother in law, my husband's mother, told me not to, that she would pay for the entire trip that week since she would be joining us and looking forward to being with us. At this point in my life, I didn't have the chance to be prideful, but thankful and so beyond touched at her example of her motherly generosity.

As we enjoyed our time quietly at the beach each morning, I prayed for our family. I prayed that God would continue to grace me with strength to endure the coming days. It hasn't been easy... but I am getting to understand the things that God wants us to understand and learn from, it's not my time, it's God's time, and He will answer my prayers when He feels that I have earned them. So many tests as human beings and I finally get it when a trial in life happens.

The picture above was taken at early sunrise off Lighthouse Point in Sanibel Island, Florida. As I was walking a large distance from the family that morning, I realized that I could find some solitude in praying and looking through my lens for grace and beauty made by God. I saw 5 little Ibis' birds standing and grazing against the beautiful warm water, and the sun reflecting off their white feathers. The feathers reminded me of the beauty of angels, and the water's warmth the love that emits off the Holy Spirit. The water being a rebirth, a baptism of the soul. How beautiful an image I thought, and I started clicking away at this magnificent beautiful God made masterpiece. 5 little ibis birds representing the nurturing of my 5 lil' rascals.

The rebirth of that morning was a turning point, but it hasn't been easy. It's been 5 1/2 months since my Dennis has been unemployed. I am afraid. Afraid of the outcome. Afraid of the enemy. But it's with trusting the Lord that has been my cure in my fears. Trust in Him. Go to Him. Pray and don't worry. Fear spoken 365 times in the Bible... my Lord please give me the Divine Mercy to understand those around me and forgive them and to be able to do good unto others with the Holy Spirit in my heart.

I hope to continue to share during these next few months my journey again... taking little baby steps.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Lil' Rosebud -- always smiling, always sweet, always so pretty and so warm, huggable and friendly to all who come to her. My lil' Rosebud you are so loved.

{pretty}

The happiest little girl on Earth with Josh Groban's new CD!

{happy}

The happiest lil' boy on earth on the baseball field. =) DJ in WALL Baseball season 8

{happy}

Lil' Meatball and Lil' Ragu -- we affectionately call them the Bobo Brothers, because they are like little twin monkeys all day long. =) Fun times doing wheelies!

{funny}

At the cemetery last month, I took some pictures of the Blessed Mother in the mid-day sun. Heavenly and warm love from the skies that day as she gazed upon all the babies buried and gone too soon on Earth.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

As I have been going in my personal journey with photography, I realize during this reflective season of Lent that I am yet forgetting what I need to focus on. Simply -- GOD. I thank God daily for all that I have, I do a Divine Mercy and Rosary almost daily on the same schedule, but I do fall in the cracks with my human tendencies and needs. I am human and imperfect and I recognize that.

I have so many little imperfections in my life, but one that I struggle with the most is my disability, the constant ringing in my ears (tinnitus) and my weight issues. Time is always the enemy, not my blessings around me. Also, choices and human free will and all the excuses I make.

I heard this beautiful song last year and as I was searching for some music for a photo gallery that I was creating for a client, I came upon Selah's song - "I look to YOU". So perfect for this Lenten Season, for me at least, as I find my way in this crazy, time driven world, uniquely, trying to love myself for who I am, which has always been very quite difficult for me to do.

I am sharing this on here, even though my blog has never been a point of many sources for many people in my life and in the blogosphere, and that's okay for me. It's not a popularity contest or a money making machine. I have tried all the blog circles, link ups, etc. but for me my blog has always been a place and a journey to evangelize and also be transparent to others that life is not perfect even as a Catholic. Life is supposed to be complicated, messy and trivial. It's how we approach Life and how we lean on God in these times instead of abandon Him when we are lost in our way. The Lenten Compass begins in that journey on Earth to Heaven. For something so simple, we as humans make it so very hard. ;) At my 38 years of life on Earth I am sure learning that to be the lesson of life. lol!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

We were given the honor of reviewing this beautiful movie during Christmas called The Greatest Miracle, but with all the crazy yet joyous things we do as a family during Advent, I held off to watch this beautiful movie until now, during Lent of 2013.

THE GREATESTMIRACLE is produced by Pablo Jose Barroso of Dos Corazones Productions, producer
of the epic action adventure on Mexico’s Cristero War, For Greater Glory. “We are very excited to bring THE GREATESTMIRACLE to home video,” Barroso said. “It tells a story that is founded in Catholic Church teaching … one that
is bolstered daily by faithful people everywhere. Sometimes, we do not think about the mysterious things we cannot see. THE GREATESTMIRACLE portrays the unseen and miraculous events that unfold at every Mass.”

The
story focuses on three people who find themselves at the same Catholic
Mass because of crises they are struggling to endure. Going to Mass is
not new to any of them – but they need help
to embrace its true meaning. THE GREATESTMIRACLE masterfully portrays the invisible realities of the Catholic faith.

Our Catholic Family Circus Review:

The Greatest Miracle is a beautiful movie
about forgiveness, compassion and also for those in our Catholic Faith
that have lost their step, have been withdrawn their way to Jesus Christ and the Catholic
Church. It brings these three diverse Catholic individuals to the Catholic Church and the three heavenly angels teach them about the true meaning and definition of Mass and the beauty of the Sacrament of Confession.

I won't give away much of the
details of the movie, but my little rascals were quite enamored with
the movie. Just a little thing I love are the 3 angels... The first time we watched the movie, I couldn't watch it
since I am partially deaf and my television needed a special wire to
transmit the captions needed for me to 'see/hear' the movie. The second
time was a charm and we were able to see the movie as a family. We will
be watching the movie tomorrow for our Catholic religion part of our curriculum, so
the kids will get to add this to the Lenten journey this season.

If you are looking for a Catholic family movie that is beautifully made and will show you the beautiful power of God, the many miracles and how people can restore their life in the unseen and mystery of our beautiful Catholic faith and the beauty of the Catholic Mass and the beautiful sacraments it offers, watch The Greatest Miracle with your families.

It continues to change us and also inspire others in our life to always lean on God daily. God loves us, and He is a Great and Good God. God is good all the time as we say in our home.

This year our family belongs to 3 homeschool groups and lucky for us, one of the three had organized a field trip to Jungle Island (Parrot Jungle) in Miami, Florida. We could not pass up the great deal and special on this field trip! We felt blessed to be able to do this special field trip since we have been budgeting and saving this year.

With great good fortune, the field trip fell around my Lil' Ragu's 4th birthday this year. As an added surprise, Dennis/Daddy made it a weekend to remember for him by taking the Friday off for a family outing! Little Ragu was all smiles.

Here are some photos of the special Jungle Island Field Trip!

The REAL Rio of Jungle Island!

Birthday Boy - Lil' Ragu having a grand old time with Doc Wasabis Adventures!

Lunch Time for the Lil' Rascals!

In this bird show we got to see some beautiful and rare birds. And Lil' Meatball took a tiny nap as well.

The monkey and parrot exhibit we walked into had these really tiny monkeys roam freely as well as the beautiful parrots. These monkeys were searching for food, climbing the rocks and also wanted to play with my very expensive camera. lol!

Rosebud saying Happy 4th Birthday to Lil' Ragu!

The beauty of Pink Flamingos of Jungle Island! We had a cold snap for South Florida, but we didn't mind one bit, it was such a beautiful day!

Rare Sausage Trees --- I would love to have one of these interesting and beautiful trees one day in my family backyard! =)

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

As we as a family celebrate Ash Wednesday, with reflection on this beautiful change of seasons of our own personal journeys, we pray that Pope Benedict XVI finds comfort and love from all who love him and admire him around the world, and that the best decision for our Catholic Faith be an easy one for those deciding on a new Pope in the coming season.

From our family to yours -- Peace be with you during this Lenten Season.

ASH WEDNESDAY PRAYER

God of the desert, as we follow Jesus into the unknown, may we recognize the tempter when he comes; let it be Your bread we eat, Your world we serve and You alone we worship. Amen

A Love Story - 9/22/2000

My 5 Ring Circus -The Lil' Rascals

Dedicated to Our Glory Baby

Baby Love

Voices of Meningitis

On October 22, 1994 I contracted Meningococcal Meningitis. I survived after two in a half weeks in a coma, and then coming out of it permanently disabled, hearing impaired with severe infinite tinnitus (ringing of the ears) and a balance disorder.
Watch true stories of people who have been affected by meningitis and see how you can help prevent this devastating disease. Go to http://voicesofmeningitis.org

Consecration to the Holy Family

St. Therese of Liseiux - My Heavenly Patron Saint

A novice was grieving about her numerous distractions during prayer: "I too, have many," replied St. Therese of the Child Jesus, "but I accept all for love of the good God, even the most extravagent thoughts that come into my head."